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“James, there’s someone I want you to meet,” Harry said “Parker, we’ll see you in there”
“Okay,” she said, watching as Harry put his arm around James The two men walked away, but James looked back Held up his hand and mouthed, Five minutes
The thing was, she kne long five minutes could last
“Parker, where have you been?” It was Aunt Vivian, and she was pissed “Dinner is being served! Would you please come in here? It’s Esme’s special day Would it kill you to remember that? Honestly”
And so she ended up with the Coven, after all The only person at the table with an empty chair next to her
Five minutes became ten Ten beca to colad-handing sohter
“Look at that lawyer of his,” Juliet said “He’s such a social cli with you, Parker” The cousins burst into laughter, and Parker, who hadn’t cried for a long, long time, felt suddenly terrified that she was about to burst into tears
“Would you please pass the butter, Regan?” she asked
“Do you really think you need it?” Aunt Louise said, and Parker was actually grateful for the change in subject
The five minutes had stretched into thirty-three
She was an idiot
Don’t say that, Parker, the Holy Rollers chimed We think you’re really smart!
Not sh, apparently, to realize that she’d skipped happily into yet another cliché, even worse than Wedding Guest Picks Up Guy or Poor Little Rich Girl Feels So Alone No, this one orse Juliet was absolutely right This one was Guy Sleeps with Boss’s Daughter as Part of Plan to Move Up Corporate Ladder
Idiot
She spent forty-seven lancing over occasionally as her father worked the crowd
Thing One stayed obediently at his side
Then she texted her driver, went home, took a very hot shower and practically scrubbed off her skin with the loofah
She got a text a little while later You still around? Can’t seem to find you
It was now one hundred and twenty-six minutes after the five he’d said Well Better to learn this now She opted not to respond Sat there and watched Dexter instead
He called an hour later and left aTalk to you later”
Oh, yes, there’d been aOne hundred and twenty-six of them
The next day, when Ethan dropped Nicky home, she asked him to stay for dinner before he had to head for the airport No skipping the aroing to put in an appearance
Ethan and Nicky were playing T-ball on the back lahen Jah theas he cah his hair before ringing the doorbell
She opened the door
“Parker,” Ja okay here?”
“Everything’s fine, Thing One What brings you by?”
“Well, you disappeared before I could find you yesterday” He held out the bouquet Roses, irises, gerbera daisies and, se of Alka-Seltzer
Da
“Listen, Ja for cool but not icy Icy would ied yesterday and, ah, juain”
“Parker—”
“It won’t happen again I’ize for my behavior”
“You—”
“Unfortunately, we’re about to eat dinner So I guess I’ll see you the next time Harry tells you to come by”
Thing One’s set to—”
“It’s fine I understand You have certain duties It was a business event for you”
His eyes narrowed “Do I get to say anything here?” he asked
“I’d rather you got in your car and left, to be completely honest”
“Because if I did get to say soain, take you to dinner, get to know you better”
She could picture it He’d woo her or whatever, smile his crinkly smile, make her fall for hiive his blessing, which Harry would certainly give Finally, a son He and Jaether on the weekends and bethe week, because sure, Jahter and not move up to Senior Vice President, after all Jadom, wouldn’t have to work so hard to impress her father, not as the son-in-law, no, sir All Ja her once in a while, father a kid or two, and he could kick back and relax, his future assured
“What do you say?” he asked when she remained silent
Much to her surprise, Parker felt the sting of tears in the back of her eyes “No, thank you, James”
“Why not?”
She shrugged and looked past hihter”
“Yes, I remember”
She snapped her gaze back to hiet closer to hi”
His eyebrows rose “That’s not what I was thinking”